Stop Using Word Clouds 🚫
Word clouds are a crime against data.
"Every time I see a word cloud presented as insight, I die a little inside"
- Jacob Harris, NY Times
Image credits: The New Yorker
Hold up! You might be thinking of using a word cloud, but first let's make sure you're acting responsibly.
Word clouds might look snazzy , but they’re really just glorified word counters. Sure, they show you which words pop up the most , but they strip away the context, meaning, and relationships between terms. Multiple experts and studies online have pointed out that these visuals oversimplify your data , turning rich narratives into useless jumbles.
"Every time I see a word cloud presented as insight, I die a little inside"
- Jacob Harris, NY Times
- They only show raw frequency counts, not the story behind the words.
- Every word is treated equally—no matter if it's a powerful sentiment or just filler.
- Context is lost, so relationships and underlying themes vanish.
- Ultimately, they’re flashy visuals that don’t really inform.
If someone tried to sell you on word clouds, it’s time to think again. For real insights, lean on AI-powered analysis or more sophisticated visualizations that actually tell you something meaningful.
Image credits: The New Yorker
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